Webquest:
Dying to be Thin
Introduction
Eating disorders are threatening the lives of millions of young male and female
adolescents each year. Media advertising portrays young people with waif-like figures as
having the “ideal” figure”. Often adolescents will go to great lengths to achieve these
figures, literally starving themselves to death. Perhaps there is pressure from coaches or
dance instructors to maintain an ideal weight to achieve success. Or do peers, family
members and friends inadvertently make us feel that we fall short of acceptability due to
our lack of the popular conception of the ideal figure?
Objective
After completing this webquest, you should have a very clear understanding of the
devastation brought on by eating disorders. By looking at anorexia nervosa and
bulimia nervosa and examining healthy eating regimes, you will be better able to apply
healthy living skills to your daily eating and exercise routines. These living skills will
allow you to adopt personal eating habits that will increase your self-esteem while
maintaining a healthy body image.
Overview
You will use the internet to gather research and answer questions on anorexia and
bulimia. You will apply your research to complete the activities. When you have
completed the webquest you will have:
1) Research notes on Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa
2) A display board that will inform the class about eating disorders.
3) A Biography Booklet of an individual who is suffering from an eating disorder.
4) You will present your display board and booklet to the class.
Research
Use the indicated websites to answer the following questions:
Defining Eating Disorders and Warning Signs:
www.anred.com Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc.
1. What is an eating disorder?
2. What are the 3 most common eating disorders and what are the characteristics of each?
3. The warning signs for these eating disorders fall under several categories: food behaviors,
appearance and body image behaviors, exercise behaviors, thoughts and beliefs, feelings
and social behaviors. Identify 3 warning signs in each category.
Warning Signs
food behaviors:
appearance and body image behaviors:
exercise behaviors:
thoughts and beliefs:
feelings and social behaviors:
Health Risks Related to Eating Disorders
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=294 National Eating Disorders Organization
4. What are the health risks associated with anorexia?
5. What are the health risks associated with bulimia?
6. What are the health risks associated with binge eating disorder?
Treatment of Eating Disorders
www.something-fishy.org Something Fishy Website on Eating Disorders
7. Identify 5 health professionals who might be involved in the treatment of an eating
disorder and list what areas they are trained in.
8. When is hospital-based care necessary?
Information Display
You are to create a Bristol board display that clearly depicts the issues surrounding
eating disorders. Your board should include:
o a chart or diagram that organizes your information on signs, symptoms and
causes of death with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (you must make this
chart yourself)
o pictures, maps, graphs or any other visuals that may be useful in presenting your
information.
o You may also want to gather print media (i.e. magazines, newspapers,
pamphlets etc.).
o Make sure you cite EVERY website you used on each section of information.
Booklet
o Many websites have personal stories, poems and dedications in memoriam of
people who have suffered from an eating disorder. Choose one personal story
and prepare, in booklet form, a brief biography of the individual's life.
o This can be about a person who is currently suffering from an eating disorder, a
person who has recovered from it, or a person who has passed away as a result
their eating disorder.
o Be sure to include the pressure(s) that may have impacted the desire to be thin.
o Your booklet must have a cover with a title and the author's name.
Conclusion
o Hand this package in with all the questions answered on these sheets.
o You will present your Bristol board display and your booklet to the class.
o Due: _____________
Internet Resources
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/thin/program.html - film footage of PBS movie on
anorexia
http://www.caringonline.com/eatdis/topics/athletics.htm - examines athletes and eating
disorders
http://www.girlpower.gov/girlarea/bodywise/eatingdisorders/index.htm -facts about
eating disorders
http://www.danceart.com/dancerswrite/Autumn.htm- "The Slow Killer" A Dancer's Report on
Anorexia
http://library.thinkquest.org/27755/horrorstorie.html -personal accounts of young girls
with an eating disorder
http://library.thinkquest.org/27755/ten_stepspb.htm - ten steps to a positive body image
http://users.neca.com/cwildes/ - general information on eating disorders
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/nutrition/pube/foodguid/foodguide.html - Canada's Food
Guide
http://www.teachnutrition.org/ie/index.html - an interactive site on nutrition and your
knowledge
http://www.emory.edu/EMORY_REPORT/erarchive/1996/April/ERapril.1/4_1_96wellness
.html - suggestions on how to avoid the trap of a negative body image
http://www.mirror-mirror.org/debbie2.htm - in memoriam page for Debbie Fradin
http://www.raderprograms.com/athletes.htm - explores possibility of athletes and
dancers being at a higher risk for an eating disorder
http://www.something-fishy.org/ - extensive site on eating disorders, includes a large inmemoriam site
http://www.anorexianervosa.org/ - a Canadian site with many links to information
http://www.bibri.com/dedication/memory.htm - an in-memoriam site
http://www.andreasvoice.org/ - an in-memoriam site and more
http://www.anred.com/ - an extensive reference site on anorexia nervosa and related eating
disorders
http://www.eating.ucdavis.edu/ - talks about the first victim (1347-1380) to present day
http://www.open-mind.org/ - offers a number of links to a variety of sites on eating
disorders
http://www.hopewell.on.ca - another Canadian site, offers information on treatment
available in Ontario as well as personal stories
http://www.eating-disorder.org/celebrities.html - celeb. stories of various eating disorders
http://www.edap.org/ - has information on the media influence, men and eating disorders
and statistics
http://www.lambtonhealth.on.ca/ - local support and also a source of media and print
materials on eating disorders
Expectations
Health
Overall Expectations

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


apply living skills (e.g., decision-making, problem-solving, and refusal skills) to respond to matters related
healthy eating habits
relate healthy eating practices and active living to body image and self-esteem;
adopt personal goals that reflect healthy eating practices;
identify local support groups and community organizations (e.g., public health offices) that provide
information or services related to health and well-being;
adopt personal food plans, based on nutritional needs and personal goals, to improve or maintain their
eating practices;
Specific Expectations

analyze the effects of under-eating (e.g., as a result of bulimia or sports dieting) on health and well-being;
Language - Writing
Overall Expectations



communicate ideas and information for a variety of purposes (to outline an argument, to report on
observations) and to specific audiences, using forms appropriate for their purpose and topic
produce media texts using writing and materials from other media
revise and edit their work, in collaboration with others;
Language - Oral/Visual Communication
Overall Expectations



listen to and communicate related ideas, and narrate real events in a sequence;
express and respond to a range of ideas and opinions concisely, clearly, and appropriately;
contribute and work constructively in groups;
Dying to be Thin - Evaluation Rubrics
Research Rubric
Research Rubric
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Use information
technology to
identify, gather
and sort
information, and
revise product
rarely
interprets and
synthesizes
information
accurately and
effectively
sometimes
interprets and
synthesizes
information
accurately and
effectively
usually
interprets and
synthesizes
information
accurately and
effectively
consistently
interprets and
synthesizes
information
accurately and
effectively
Display
information in a
variety of formats
with the use of
technology
rarely applies
information
skills and
knowledge in
using
technology
applies
information
skills and
knowledge in
using technology
applies
information
skills and
knowledge in
using
technology
applies
information
skills and
knowledge in
using technology
Writing Rubric
Rubric for
Booklet
Level One
Information is
difficult to follow
Organization with several major
errors and
omissions.
Student has little
or no
understanding of
Content
the pressures felt
Knowledge
by individuals
with eating
disorders.
Uses few of the
Grammar and conventions for
Spelling
the grade.
Neatness
Work is illegible.
Level Two
Level Three
Level Four
Information is
Information is
somewhat difficult to organized with few
follow with several errors.
minor errors and
omissions.
Information is logical
and sequential with
little or no errors.
Student has limited
understanding of the
pressures felt by
individuals with
eating disorders.
Student has a good
understanding of the
pressures felt by
individuals with
eating disorders.
Student has a clear
and precise
understanding of the
pressures felt by
individuals with
eating disorders.
Uses some of the
conventions for the
grade.
Uses many of the
conventions for the
grade with few errors
or omissions.
Uses all of the
conventions for the
grade consistently and
accurately.
Work has very few
Work has several
areas that lack
areas that lack
attention to aesthetic
attention to aesthetic
details.
details.
Work clearly
demonstrates attention
to details and an
aesthetically pleasing
product.
Oral Presentation Rubric
Oral Presentation
Rubric
Information
obtained from
various sources.
(e.g. Internet, texts,
interviews etc.)
Presentation skills
(fluency, eye
contact, clarity of
voice)
Level One
Level Two
Level Three
Level Four
Inadequate use of Satisfactory use of
variety of sources. variety of sources.
Good use of
Excellent use of
variety of sources. variety of sources.
Student's voice is
not audible and
clear.
Student's voice is Student's voice is
audible and clear. audible and clear.
Student's voice is
somewhat audible
and clear.
Eye contact is
Words are clearly
Eye contact is made made most of the enunciated.
some of the time.
time.
Eye contact is
made.
Organizational
Little organization Some evidence of
Good
Topic is clearly
skills (neatness,
is evident.
organizational skills, organizational
organized,
content, charts,
satisfactory use of
skills, good use of excellent use of
graphs, props)
charts, graphics and charts, graphs and charts, graphs and
props.
props.
props.
Use of visual media Few visual
Satisfactory use of Good use of visual Excellent use of
(pictures, diagrams, components.
visual components. components.
visual components,
working models) Visuals give little Visuals give some
working models.
clarity to issues
clarity to issues
Visuals give a
surrounding eating surrounding eating good
Visuals give a clear
disorders
disorders
representation of and accurate
issues surrounding representation of
eating disorders
issues surrounding
eating disorders
Knowledge base of Minimal
Satisfactory
Very good
Excellent
topic (depth of
understanding of
understanding of
understanding of understanding of
topic)
topic.
topic.
topic.
topic.
Eye contact is not
maintained.